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Fillmore
Fillmore, Colorado (pop. 71,452) is a small town located in the Rocky Mountains. It is known by outsiders, particularly those from nearby Caulfield, as the "Town of Ghosts" due to the haunted, unwelcome feeling experienced by visitors. Fillmorians prefer to think of themselves as "The Marmalade Capital of America." Founding Fillmore gets its name from President Millard Fillmore despite having been settled sometime after his presidency had ended. Originally a trading post for miners and settlers heading further west, its first notable permanent residents were the Fosters and Hausers, who put down roots and began the work of developing the township into a more livable place through industry and real estate starting in the late 1860s. The arrival of Aldous Hilliard and the marmalade company he later founded irrevocably shaped the town's character. Due to the town's seclusion amongst the Rocky Mountains, and its distance from major cities, its culture grew somewhat insular and self-reliant, with many of its ways puzzling to outsiders. Geography and Climate Fillmore is known for brutal winters that last from late October until April or even May, often cutting the small town off from the outside world completely. Summer highs are more balmy, with average highs in the mid-90s. The winter season sees the town buried in up to four feet of snow at a time. Small and isolated, the town is burrowed deep in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, with mountain peaks to the north including Mt. Savage, Mt. Grief, and the Mountain With No Name. To the south, the Grey River valley carves through Withering Creek. The nearest town is Caulfield (pop. 101,223), 20 miles east by Winding Snake Pass. The westward road, Route 33, does not lead to any towns directly, but does eventually join the interstate. Government Mayor Tom Falk has held office for 13 years as of 2014, during which time the town has seen unprecedented normalcy. Almost nothing has changed in the time since his election and he enjoys a 60% approval rating because of it. He succeeded Mayor Reginald Gracely, who resigned for reasons unknown. Falk's father, Angus Falk, was also mayor briefly in the 1970s. Education Fillmore is served by several grade schools covering either grades K-6 or K-8, one junior high school (Fillmore Central Jr. High) and three high schools (Fillmore North High School, Fillmore South Secondary, Filmore General High sic.) There are also Catholic Schools for both K-8 (Sacred Mother Primary School) and high school (St. Andrews), an adult learning centre (the William Bush Centre fo Literacy) and an all-ages "experience center" operated by the Lunar Sons. Marston Community College is located on the south end of town. Businesses and Institutions The oldest and most venerable business in Fillmore is the Wholesome Hills Marmalade Factory, founded and still operated by the Hilliard Family. It employs over 3000 residents in both wage-paying factory jobs and salaried corporate ones. The Perkins Unbreakable Comb company has also headquartered in Fillmore since its founding in 1911, although production has long since been moved to China. Fillmore is home to many fine dining options, including the Five Points Club and KlämBåk. Less-fine options include Forever Pancakes, a breakfast bar, and the Friendzone Cafe, a coffee shop modeled after Central Perk from the TV program "Friends." Local brewer Mason's has called Fillmore home since the late 19th century and is served at every bar. The Fillmore Historical Society is run by Alice Hauser, a member of the oldest family in Fillmore, whose ancestors arrived even before the Hilliards. Sports, Entertainment and Media The town's minor league baseball and hockey teams are both known as the Fillmore Small Chickens after a mixup of paperwork. The town's basketball team is known as the Fillmore 'Laders (short for Marmaladers.) Its official local rivalry is with Caulfield, being the only easily-accessible town nearby. In the 1990s, the #1 sport in Fillmore was Backyard Wrestling. The top-paid athlete, "Stone Cool" Ed Wills, made $200 per match. However, he retired in 2002 in protest over the Invasion of Iraq and the sport never recovered. The town's only radio station is KLNK, which plays country music from the 1950s, '60s and '70s. It employs only one DJ, Dangerous Dan Calder, and on days when he doesn't feel like showing up to work the station only broadcasts advertisements. Until 2011, local news was provided by the Fillmore Messenger. Culture "Marmalade Culture" is very popular in Fillmore, with kids collecting and trading special edition labels and lids, and families regularly using marmalade as an ingredient with every meal. The Wholesome Hills Factory is one of the few major sources of civic pride for its residents, providing its product all over the American south west and coastal region and putting Fillmore on the map, in addition to providing jobs for thousands of residents. The condiment is so popular and even necessary to everyday life that when it was briefly unavailable in the 1970s, riots occurred. The most popular beers in Fillmore are Mason's, and somewhat surprisingly, Sapporo. The local gun club is known as the Fillmore Alliance of Pistols or FAP. Major churches and places of worship include the First Protestant Church, the Third Protestant Church, St. Vincenzo's Roman Catholic Church, Pantheist United Faith Center (above Rick's Bowling Alley) and the Church of the Lunar Sons. The Second Protestant Church burned down in the 1970s under suspicious circumstances. Outsiders, particularly those from nearby Caulfield, regard Fillmorians as a suspcicious, introverted lot who are unwelcoming to outsiders and not overly eager to explore the outside world. Many Caulfielders who visit have noted the aimless way Fillmorians seem to drift past and avert their gaze. This ,combined with the rumoured presence of actual haunted spots in town, leads them to describe Fillmore as the "Town of Ghosts." Category:Town of Fillmore Category:Locations